


A Pirate's Life

by Sapphire363



Category: Original Work
Genre: Curses, Fantasy, Gen, Pirates, Tumblr Prompt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-21
Updated: 2017-06-21
Packaged: 2018-11-17 03:27:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,053
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11266986
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sapphire363/pseuds/Sapphire363
Summary: Captain Isabelle, aka Bloodcoat, Scourge of the Western Seas, is cursed to die if she does not find someone to whom she would give her heart and soul, expecting nothing in return.Of course, Isabelle isn't really the romantic type, is she?





	A Pirate's Life

**Author's Note:**

> Based on a Tumblr prompt I found on Pinterest. There is a bit of blood, but nothing too graphic. Please comment! I love feedback. Enjoy!

The sea-witch lay at her feet, bleeding sickly-green lifeblood from a gaping wound in her side. Bloodcoat, Scourge of the Western Seas, known as Captain Isabelle to her crew, had struck the beast down for the sake of it's hoard of treasure, collected from hundreds of vessels lured in and destroyed by the hateful beast, and dozens more vessels that had come in an attempt to claim the treasure for their own.

The beast was also a threat to a nearby town, home to the family of her second mate, and had already claimed the life of his cousin and one of his childhood friends, but that was irrelevant and had in no way affected the blood-rage that she entered when she first caught sight of the creature, sleeping in a cavern full of ship parts, treasure, and blood-stained skeletons.

The sea-witch cackled weakly, locking eyes with the captain. She murmured something in a long-forgotten tongue with her last breath, but the curse's meaning rang clear through the cavern, for all to hear:

"In five years today, you, who take all you desire and give nothing, will die, unless you give your heart and soul to someone, expecting nothing in return." Isabelle froze, feeling the words resonate through her, chilling her heart. Her crew stood around her staring at their captain like she could drop dead at any moment. She turned to them, sheathing her bloodied sword with a practiced flourish and shouting,

"What're you lot standing around for, stop staring like stunned fish and load this lot onto the ship! Or do you want cleaning duty for the next month?" Effectively spurred into action, the crew started working again, Bloodcoat moving among them, helping where needed.

   


"Ahh, cap'n?" Isabelle was standing at the bow of the ship, the red coat that gave her her earned name flapping in the wind. She turned to see her first mate, Jane, a tiny, timid woman at first glance, but with a violent streak a mile wide, a love for burning enemy ships and enough strength in her wirey frame to make grown men tremble.

 _'yes,'_ Bloodcoat thought, _'She'll make a good captain when I'm gone.'_ Aloud, she only said,

"What is it?" Jane shuffled her feet, uncharacteristically nervous,

"Well... The crew and I were wondering, about... Well about the..."

"The sea-witch's curse." The captain sighed, she had been hoping to avoid this conversation a little longer. She put her hand on her first mate's shoulder. "Listen, Jane, I have five years left, I would much rather spend them on the sea, drinking and fighting and doing what I love, than searching for something that I neither want nor need and wasting that time. If I find someone in that time then everything will be fine, if I don't, then I don't. I'll have spent my time with my crew, exploring and treasure hunting, doing the things I love. Understand?"

Jane nodded, all nervousness gone and her face carefully stoic. She opened her mouth, but before she could say anything, a shout came from the rigging, from the mouth of Jonathan, a lanky young man who could see like a hawk, climbed like a monkey, and snored like a sea serpent.

"Navy sails on the horizon!" Bloodcoat jumped into action, screaming,

"Battle stations, let's go!" To her crew, unnecessarily it seemed, as the majority of them were already moving. Tasting the salt in the air and feeling the adrenaline in her veins in anticipation of the upcoming fight, Isabelle knew she had made the right choice.

   


Bloodcoat knew she was weakening, she could feel it, the breathlessness in battle when, normally, she would have been fine.

She could feel the curse taking hold, she only had a few weeks left, and she was determined to make them the best of her life.

Her crew knew this too, becoming more defensive of her when they got into skirmishes, cracking out the rum just a little more often, being just that much louder, trying to make sure she knew that she would be missed, without actually saying it.

They were pirates, they didn't do feelings talk.

She caught her breath, pausing for only a second, not missing how Jane turned and shot a soldier who was coming up behind her. Normally, she would have been angry at this apparent insult to her skill, but she knew that, now, so close to her time, she needed the help.

She straightened, no more time to rest, they had a merchant ship to raid.

   


Isabelle could barely move, the night before she had lain down in her hammock in the captain's quarters, knowing the next day would be her last, and felt heavy, but now, her crew were surrounding her, they had been terrified that they had missed her final moments when she hadn't left her quarters that morning.

The motely crew that she had gathered herself, men and women who had grown to be her family over the years, now crowded around her in the tiny room, not really fitting, but not really caring. They talked to her, taking turns and sharing their favourite stories as her fever worsened, the memories of their captain that they will hold most dear when she's gone.

Memories of Bloodcoat, the Scourge of the Western Seas, feared pirate captain and wanted just about anywhere. Memories of Captain Isabelle, caring and kind, protective to the bitter end of her crew and more willing to die with them at her side, than give up the life she had to find a way to live. As the stories ended, and the room fell into a sad, terrified silence, Isabelle's breath hitched, and the crew held their breath, anticipating their captain's final moments.

Then Isabelle exhaled, a green fog rising from her lips and dissipating into the air, taking the curse with it. Her eyes opened, the fever gone, and she sat up. There was a stunned silence for a moment, a second of realisation, before there was uproar in the cramped cabin. Jane flung her arms around Isabelle, tears in her eyes, and everyone attempted to crowd closer, with varying degrees of success.

In all the noise in the cabin, not a single person needed to ask how it was that their captain's curse was suddenly broken.

**Author's Note:**

> I can't find the prompt on Tumblr, but it basically says:  
> A pirate captain is cursed and will die in five years if she doesn't give her whole heart to someone in that time.  
> Instead of going on a journey for true love or whatever, she uses her last years to drink and be merry. At the last minute, the curse is broken, because she gave her whole heart to her crew and ship and expected nothing in return. 
> 
> I hope you enjoyed! Please comment to let me know how to improve my writing, or just tell me what you liked if you want! As I said, I love feedback.


End file.
